Conduit-support



T. E. KIRKPATRICK AND G. E. BECK.

ONDUIT SU 0N FILED PPOR.

I Patented Mar. 2,1926.

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UNTTFB STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS E. KIRKPATRICK, 0F ELKHAET, INDIANA, AND GEGRGE E. BECK, OIE'CLEVELAND, OHIO.

CONDUITSUPPORT.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that we, THOMAS E. KIRK- PATRICKand GEORGE E. BECK, citizens of the United States, residing at Elkhart,Elkhart county, State of Indiana, and Cleveland, in the county ofCuyahoga and State of Ohio, respectively, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Conduit-Supports, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to columns, and more especially to the capsthereof; and its object is to improve the supports for conduits such asare employed in housing` the wires of block signal systems, interlockingsystems, electric conductor wires, etc., employed in connection withrailways. Ordinarily such wires are housed within a conduit or trunkingsubstantially rectangular in form and built up of relatively narrowboards and such conduits are spaced various distances above the groundsurface due to the unevenness of the surface at the sides of the tracks.In order to support the conduits in level position wooden posts areordinarily employed but these soon rot or become broken or otherwisemoved out of place, thereby interferingwith free running of the wires ina block signal system or interlocking system, or injuring the insulationupon electric conductor wires housed within the conduits.

The present invention, therefore, aims to provide a more substantial anddurable support for conduits of this nature and one which will securelyand firmly hold the con duit in a straight line and against sagging ordisplacement in other directions.

Brieiiy stated, the device embodying the present invention includes apost and a cap designed to be assembled therewith, the same having meanswhereby two or more of the supporting caps may be connected in' parallelrelation .so that where two or more of the conduits are to be run sideby side they may be properly arranged so as to eX- tend parallelthroughout 'their length.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure l is a perspective view of the upper end of one of the devices incondition for use.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view through one or the posts beforeassemblage therewith of its cap forming the supporting member for theconduit.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 2, 1920.

serial No. 201,824.

Fig. 3 is a section showing the cap assembled with the post and anchoredthereto.

Fig. 4C is a similar section at right angles to Fig. 3, illustrating amodified form of anchoring means.

Fig. 5 is a top plan View of the structure shown in Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 2, illustrating a further modificationof the anchoring means.

In the drawings the numeral l indicates the post heretofore mentioned,which post is preferably formed of cement or other suitable material andin order to reinforce the post the same is provided upon its oppositesides with vertically extending ribs 2 molded integrally therewith andterminating at their upper and lower ends short of the correspondingends of the post. While it is preferable that the post aside from theribs 2, be rectangular in horizontal section, it may be of some otherform if desired, as long, however, as its upper extremity is rectangularor polygonal in order to provide against turning thereon of the conduitsupporting member or cap, as will be presently explained. To furtherreinforce the post l and to provide anchoring means for the cap, thereis embedded in the post,'in that form of the invention shown in Figs. 1,2 and 3, a rod 3, the said rod extending vertically at the center of thepost except at its lower portion where it is bent laterally along acurved line in the general direction of the lower end of the post, asindicated by the numeral 4f, so as to provide against being pulled loosefrom the post. ln order to provide for anchoring of the cap, the upperend of the rod 3 projects a suitable distance above the upper end of thepost, as indicated by the numeral 5.

Various forms of caps or capitals serving as conduit supports may bemounted upon the post above described, and the present drawingsillustrate a cap adapted for use in connection with a straight length ofconduit. The said cap comprises a base 6 pro? vided with forward andrearward flanges 7 which project below the plane of the under side ofthe base and with anges 8 which project downwardly from the oppositesides of the base. Thus the under side of the base is provided in effectwith a rectangular or polygonal recess to receive and embrace faces ofthe post.

the upper end of the post 1 when the base of the cap or support isdisposed upon the said end ofthe post. It will be understood, of course,tha-t the flanges 7 rest against or engage the front and rear faces ofthey post at the upper end of the said post and that the flanges 8 restagainst or engage the side Cast integrally with the base 6 at theopposite sides thereof are upstanding cheek pieces 9 the inner faces ofwhich occupy planes perpendicular to the plane of the upper side of thebase so that a conduit of the ordinary form, that is to say rectangularin cross section, when disposed Within the channel formed by the cheekYin Fig. 3, and indicated by the numeral 11.

in this manner the conduit supporting members or caps may be selectivelyassembled with various lengths of posts and firmly and securely anchoredthereto, merely by the use of a sledge hammer.

Instead of employing the rod 3, a pipe 12 may be similarly embedded inthe post 1 and may have its upper end expanded or burred down, asindicated by the numeral 13, so as to anchor the conduit supportingmember in substantially the same manner as it is anchored by the rivetedend 11 of the said rod. Or, if desired, the Lipper end of the rod 8 maybe threaded, as indicated by the numeral 14, and a relatively thin nut15 may be fitted thereto and may be turned down upon the said end so asto bear firmly against the upper face of the base 6.

rlwo of the supporting members may be connected or secured together, soas to be held iirinly in such relative position as to support theirrespective conduits in parallel relation to each other, by providingupon the outer face of one of the cheek members 9 a projecting anchoringweb 16 Which occupies a vertical plane and which is perforated with abolt opening 17, it being understood that when the two conduitsupporting members are properly assembled the web upon one will overlapthe web upon the other with the perforations 17 in registration,whereupon a bolt may be secured through said perforations. Where morethan two of the conduit supporting members are to be connected togetherin parallelism, both the cheek pieces 9 are formed with anchoring webs16, as shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings, the webs having theirrespectively opposite faces standing in a plane across the midlength ofthe channel between said cheek pieces, or in other words the mid-lengthof the cap member as a whole. As the members shown in F ig. 4 are castright and left hand and their webs 16 are displaced or olfset as stated,right and left hand ones of the members shown in Fig. 4 may be assembledand connected with the opposite sides of the member shown in Fig. 5, orseveral of the members shown in Fig. 5 may be employed in conjunctionwith the members shown in Fig. 4:, in a similar manner.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

In a support, the combination with a post, and an anchor; of a capfitted over the post and connected with the anchor, upstanding spacedcheek plates on the cap producing a through-channel, and upright websprojecting outward from and at substantially right angles to the platesand having their respectively opposite faces standing in a plane acrossthe plates at substantially the midlength of said channel, the webshaving perforations to register with those in webs of companion andlaterally alined caps, for the purpose described.

in testimony whereof we aiiiX our signatures.

THOMAS E. KIRKPATRICK. GEORGE E. BECK.

